Cooking for Two (37 page)

1.
Position the rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter a shallow 2½-cup au gratin dish or any shallow 2½-cup baking dish; set aside. Toast the pecans in a small, dry skillet set over medium-low heat for about 3 minutes, or until they are lightly browned and fragrant, stirring often; set aside.

2.
Bring the water to a boil in a medium saucepan set over high heat. Add the cranberries and cook for about 2 minutes, or until half of them pop. Drain, then transfer them to a medium bowl. Stir in the apple slices, ½ cup of the sugar, the tapioca, orange zest, the 1 teaspoon melted butter, and
teaspoon of the salt. Pour this mixture into the prepared baking dish; set aside while you prepare the topping.

3.
In a clean medium bowl, mix the remaining 3 tablespoons of the melted butter with the flour, oats, cornmeal, pecans, vanilla, cinnamon,
and the remaining
teaspoon of the salt, just until moistened. Gently spread this mixture over the apple filling without pushing down. Wetting the back of a metal teaspoon can help spread the crust without its sticking; or use your fingers to crumble the topping over the fruit filling, distributing it evenly across the surface.

4.
Bake for 35 minutes, or until the filling is bubbling and the topping is set like a crust. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Buy fresh cranberries in clear bags, so you can see what you’re getting. The berries should be bright red or maroon; discard any that are soft or mushy. Cranberries freeze exceptionally well; toss the bags into the freezer, where the berries will keep for a year. Once frozen, they are best used in pies and cobblers, since they will break down when defrosted.

R
USTIC
A
PPLE
T
ART
makes
one 6-inch tart

A
rustic tart is a free-form pie. The crust is laid on a baking sheet and the edges are simply folded over the filling. Use very cold water to make the crust—it will keep the shortening from liquefying into the flour until it’s baked. A little bit of vinegar gives the crust a crisp, cookie-like crunch.

1.
Position the rack in the bottom third of the oven and preheat the oven to 375°F. Mix the flour and 1 tablespoon of the sugar in a medium bowl. Cut in the shortening with a pastry cutter or two forks, until the mixture resembles coarse meal; stir in the ice water and vinegar with a fork, just until a dough forms.

2.
Dust a clean, dry work surface with flour, turn the dough out onto it, and press lightly into a small disk. Dust the disk and a rolling pin with flour. Roll the dough into an 8-inch circle, then transfer to a lipped baking sheet, preferably nonstick or one lined with either parchment paper or a silicon baking sheet. Use a wide spatula to transfer the dough; or gently fold it in half to help transport it to the baking sheet, but do not crease it.

3.
Spread the apple slices in the middle of the dough circle, mounding them slightly toward the middle and leaving a 1-inch border around the dough’s edges. Sprinkle the remaining 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon of sugar over the apples, as well as the cinnamon and the salt.

4.
Gently fold the edges of the dough over the filling, creating a loose, buckling top over the apples but leaving the center hole open.

5.
Bake for 45 minutes, or until the crust is lightly browned and the filling is bubbling. Cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet before serving.

L
EMON
M
ERINGUE
T
ARTLETS
makes
2 tarts

F
or an elegant dessert, try these two little tarts, filled with a streamlined lemon curd, piled high with meringue, and baked until browned. To get the most height out of the meringue, remember these three rules of thumb: 1) the egg white must be at room temperature, 2) the beaters and mixing bowl should be at room temperature and completely dry, and 3) there cannot be one speck of yolk in the egg white.

1.
Position the rack in the bottom third of the oven and preheat the oven to 425°F.

2.
To make the crust, mix the flour and salt in a small bowl. Cut in the shortening with a pastry cutter or two forks, until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in the ice water with a fork, just until the mixture forms a dough. Dust a clean, dry work surface with flour, divide the dough into two equal balls, and place one on the work surface and the other under a clean kitchen towel to keep moist. Dust the first ball and a rolling pin with flour, then roll the dough into a 6-inch circle. Lay this
circle in a 4½-inch tart pan with a removable bottom or a 4-inch paper pastry shell, lightly pressing the dough against the pan’s sides and bottom. Prick with a fork, then line the crust with aluminum foil or parchment paper. Fill the lined tart shell with pie weights or dry beans. If you use dry beans, they will no longer be fit to eat—but you can reuse them to weight other tart shells and pie crusts. Repeat with the second dough ball and a second tart pan or shell.

3.
Bake for 15 minutes. Remove the pie weights or beans, and bake for another 5 minutes, or until beige and flaky. Transfer the pie shells to a wire rack and cool. The recipe can be made ahead to this point. When they are completely cooled, seal the tart shells in plastic wrap and store at room temperature for up to 2 days.

4.
To make the filling, lightly beat the egg yolk in a small bowl; set aside. Whisk the water, sugar, and cornstarch in a small saucepan. Set the pan over medium heat and whisk constantly until the sugar dissolves, then stir in the lemon juice and lemon zest. Bring the mixture to a simmer, whisking constantly. Reduce the heat to low and continue simmering for 3 minutes, or until thickened, whisking constantly.